Yang Chen was so extremely busy, sacrificing sleep to manage the intense naval battle looming on sea. This battle had significantly disrupted the tactics of the Wasoku forces. Yang Chen clearly understood that Wasoku forces aimed to encircle the Midland by both land and sea. However, due to strong resistance from Chen Yufeng in the north and encountering Yang Chen's navy at sea, their plans were thrown into disarray. Despite proficient in land warfare, Yang Chen lacked expertise in naval battles. This weakness was precisely the reason that the Wasoku forces chose to attack the Midland from the east rather than the south, where the Liao family held sway. The Liao family, unlike the Midlands's forces, not only prioritized their land army but also invested heavily in building the naval capabilities. The Liao family controlled not just the land territory but also vast maritime areas, including numerous islands. Their naval power was the strongest among four warlords. Understanding his limitations, Yang Chen had previously sought the Liao family's assistance in training his navy. Yet now in the midst of war, he found that his naval forces were still lagging behind those of Wasoku forces.
At this critical moment, Liao Feng generously dispatched a fleet to support Yang Chen. To minimize potential discord between his naval forces and those of the Liao family, Yang Chen instructed Wang Lei to maintain his own tactical approach while striving to cooperate with the Liao family as much as possible and consult with Liao's navy whenever necessary. To further avoid conflicts with the Liao family, Wang Lei handed over full control of the southern seas to the Liao's fleet to engage with Wasoku forces directly. This not only granted the Liao's fleet autonomous command over the southern front but also make them think a sense of responsibility in defending their southern seas from Wasoku's advances. This motivated the Liao family's forces to resist the enemy with full determination. This strategy also relieved a great deal of pressure on Wang Lei, enabling him to focus on other aspects of the battle. Through this combined effort, they managed to barely hold off Wasoku forces' naval assaults.
In Yucheng, Zhou Di could keenly feel the tense and chaotic atmosphere. Some wealthy people had even begun fleeing westward. He returned to Zhouzhuang village with Zhou Jieliang, still hoping to persuade his grandparents to relocate to Yucheng. However, his grandfather's response left him at a loss for words:
"If Wasoku forces really come, we'll be safer here in the countryside. We can escape to the mountain, where Wasoku people won't find us."
However, Zhou Di cast a worried glance at his wife, Ding Chunhua, who was due to give birth in a month. Ding Chunhua, in turn, looked back at him with tenderness and gently reassured him.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of our grandparents." Ding Chunhua said softly.
"But I'm more concerned about you." Zhou Di replied, his voice filled with worry, "You're about to give birth and the medical facilities in the countryside are inadequate. If there are any complications during childbirth, the journey to the hospital would be long and dangerous. I'm afraid something might go wrong during childbirth. Should I close the shop and come back to be with you?"
"There is no need for that. It wouldn't help if you were here. Besides, the shop isn't solely yours. The owner has entrusted you with full responsibility for managing the business. It wouldn't be appropriate for you to close it abruptly because of me. Grandma has already arranged for a midwife to assist me. So don't worry about me. Just coming back on weekends to be with our grandparents as usual because they miss you a lot and so do I."
"Okay, but please be careful." Zhou Di said earnestly, "I still think it's very risky for you to give birth under these circumstances. My plan was for our grandparents to move to Yucheng and you could give birth in the hospital, which would be much safer. But they refuse to leave here, which only adds to your burden." He handed her some money and continued, "Chunhua, take these money to buy some nutritious food for yourself. Don't need to share any with the grandparents because I have already given them extra. This is specifically for you."
As Ding Chunhua took the money, Zhou Di noticed she wasn't wearing the bracelet he had given her so he asked with a hint of curiously:
"Why aren't you wearing the bracelet I gave you?"
Ding Chunhua smiled and explained:
"Don't mention it. Once when I visited my parents, I happened to run into one of my cousins. She admired my bracelet and asked where I bought it. You know, her husband comes from a wealthier family, so she looked down on me a bit. She even doubted I could afford such a bracelet. I got a bit annoyed and told her I didn't need to buy it because my husband made it for me and the jade was very expensive. She was embarrassed at this and then mentioned that Mrs. Yang had a pair of earrings made from the same material. It was said that the earrings were estimated to be worth 200 or 300 silver yuan, and my bracelet was even more expensive. I was shocked to hear this, realizing how valuable it actually was. So as soon as I got home, I hurried to take it off and keep it safe."
Zhou Di asked:
"Which Mrs. Yang?"
"I'm not sure. I just heard what she told me."
Zhou Di kissed her on the cheek and said:
"Well, this time I've brought you a more affordable bracelet that you can wear now." He took out a normal bracelet made of the lardite and gently put it on her wrist, continuing, "Yes, the other one is indeed quite expensive, I guess, at least 1,000 silver yuan."
Ding Chunhua was taken aback. For someone like her, who thought 100 silver yuan was quite a lot, it was surprising to realize that she had been wearing a bracelet worth 1,000 silver yuan all along. She hurriedly asked:
"How much is this one?"
Zhou Di replied:
"About 100 silver dollars."
Ding Chunhua said
"That's still quite expensive."
Then she intended to take off the bracelet and hide it again but Zhou Di stopped her, saying confidently:
"You can keep it and I have the means to afford it. Chunhua, from now on, you can hold your head up in front of your cousin. There is a noble person who has helped me a lot, which is why I've been able to provide a comfortable life for you. I'm grateful to him. Now my financial situation is stable enough to let you live comfortable."
As he spoke, Zhou Di's heart was full of gratitude and longing for Yang Chen. They didn't have seen each other in almost almost a month.
Meanwhile, Yang Chen sat in his office at the naval headquarters, listening to Wang Lei and other naval officers report on the progress of the battle and the casualties. Just then, Yang Zaihua walked in and whispered to him:
"Miss Sanhua is here."
Yang Chen looked up in surprise and Yang Zaihua nodded in confirmation. Yang Chen said:
"Let her wait for a moment. I'm not finished here yet. You can ask her what she is doing here."
When Yang Chen saw Yang Sanhua again, he could hardly recognize her. Her well-fitted military uniform had transformed the pampered young lady into a spirited female officer. Yang Chen asked:
"Why did you come back from Aron Country? I wasn't informed about this."
"Responding to Dad's call." She replied, "Not only did I return but the third elder brother and Yang Yang also came back."
Yang Chen frowned and said:
"Aren't you just fooling around? This is a matter for the men in our family. You, a younger girl, shouldn't be involved in the war."
"You're looking down on women. To be honest, not only I but even our youngest sister, Sihua, is also doing everything she can. But I'm not here to chat with you this time. I came to bring you something."
With that, she handed a letter to Yang Chen. As he opened it, Yang Chen found a list mainly consisting of military supplies, with weapons being the most important. Sanhua explained:
"Eldest bro., these weapons were rushed out by my second elder brother and his employees, who worked overtime. Now that you're the main battlefield in the east, they've all been sent here to you. There are also some military rations and uniforms."
"Thank you." Yang Chen said, looking over the list again, "These are exactly what we need. What are you in charge of now?"
"I'm in charge of the military rations and uniforms you need. I got a small position in the logistics support department. The third elder brother and Yang Yang have gone directly into combat units." Her eyes filled with tears as she continued, "Now, the third elder brother is stationed in the north. Dad told me if nothing happened with the Chen family, Zheng will be fine there. But if things go wrong, Wasoku might head south directly and Zheng's troops could bear the brunt. Yang Yang is stationed in the central region, and you're already in the thick of the war here. Everyone at home is worried about you."
"Go back and tell everyone not to worry about me. This is a naval battle, something I'm not good at. The only thing I can do is to provide backup support and try to boost morale a bit in the naval."
Suddenly, Yang Sanhua looked a little hesitant as she glanced at him. Yang Chen raised an eyebrow involuntarily and said:
"Tell me what else has happened."
"My eldest sister-in-law, Suqiao, took Zichun and left Qudu to go to Cangwu, her parents' home"
"Why did she go to Cangwu? Is there something important there?"
"I heard it's her sister-in-law's thirtieth birthday and there is going to be a big party. Eldest Brother, forgive me for being nosy. I know, being your younger sister, I shouldn't talk more about your marriage but I think Suqiao is really going too far sometimes. No matter how much Mom and two ladies tried to persuade her, she wouldn't listen. Everyone knows it's wartime now and our country is being invaded. Everyone is contributing to the war effort. Even my second sister-in-law, Jiang Fengtian, who's pregnant, also wanted to do something if it weren't for everyone holding her back. But the eldest sister-in-law doesn't want to do anything, just spends her time as if nothing's happening like before. Even though she has never cared or worried about you. I once heard that Mom persuade her to do something for the war, especially do something for you. She promised Mom but she still took Zichun to Cangwu for that party. Mom said she got irritated by mom's words and left home. Eldest Bro., you have been married to her for many years but your relationship has always been awkward, with both of you living in separate way. You're busy with the military affairs and she enjoys her life with red wine and banquets every day. From my opinion, it seems like neither of you care about each other. Everyone knows this. So, what's really going on between you two?"
Yang Chen sighed and said:
"In truth, we were never suitable in our marriage. You know, at that time, it was arranged purely for the mutual benefit of our two families. Our grandfather was one of the closest friends of Suqiao's grandfather, who was also a powerful and wealthy figure in our territory. Her family was one of our key financial supporters because this family had always been involved in various fields, making it impossible for us to ignore it. At the same time, her family leveraged our influence to earn more interests. So Suqiao and I got engaged after meeting only twice, barely knowing each other. It didn't take long after our marriage for us to realize we were simply incompatible. Her lifestyle was acceptable to me at first, but over time, I found I couldn't stand living like that for a long time. So, less than a year after we married, cracks began to appear between us. But it's not entirely her fault. I've made mistakes too ---- for example, not spending enough time with her, neglecting her needs and failing to be a better husband. So please don't place all the blame on her. We've simply fallen into a pattern of living separate lives within our marriage, without interfering with each other."
"How can it be okay for you two to live like this? Mom is so worried about you and your marriage. Every time when she talks about it with the two ladies, all three of them have nothing to do but sigh. That's why the second elder brother, Yang Jing, had his marriage arranged purely based on their emotions. And there hasn't been another beneficial marriage in our family. He is luckier than you. Eldest brother, you've really had it tough!"
"Doesn't matter! I have been used to this. I will make time to call Suqiao soon and ask her to return to Qudu as soon as possible."
"Good! There is one more thing. Sun Jiancheng asked me to find someone named Zhou Di and bring something back to him."
"I'll go with you."